Dear Mr. Scudder, -
Excuse an after thought-
Would it not perhaps be
questionable policy for me to
appear to attach myself to any
particular 'ism - circle? - would
it not indicate, or seem to indi-
cate a certain weakening of
independence? Would not the
appearance of a signed article
by me in the Monist or in
the Open Court at once set
me down in the judgment of
a certain class as affiliated
with the ideas and professions
of the circles represented by
those periodicals? Would
not the result of such a
judgement tell against any
small influence I might
later be able to gain as
an original thinker, - especially
in relation to my connection with
the Atlantic, which, I take it,
is above, or supposed to be
above all 'isms? And would
it not be better on the whole
to keep the Nirvana paper
for book-form only? - I
have, of course, wandered in
my time through a number
of isms; and from 19 to
21 years old I used to con-
tribute to the old Boston
Investigator (!) But I must
confess now that I have a
horror of seeming to belong
to any fixed form of opinions;
and feel that my own change
inevitably from year to year.
They must, must they not? - to
have any value even as a true
reflection of personality.
Ever faithfully
Lefcadio Hearn
Oct 14th [76 ?]